Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts (although that would be pretty cool)!

Note: If this was a film, I would have it rated as PG-13.


It had been thirteen years since Vexen (or rather, Even) had stepped foot on his home world, but he didn't think much had changed. The castle and bridge looked mostly the same and from what he could see from the bridge, the village looked exactly as Vexen had remembered it. However, there was one glaring difference that Vexen immediately noticed: that the castle gates were not closed. He hoped that the open gates were a sign of progress in Arendelle.

"We mustn't dawdle. We'll stand out looking like this. Follow me," Vexen commanded. The other four members did so, following Vexen up to the gates of the castle, where two guards were stationed. Both guards appeared to be younger men. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but I must request an immediate meeting with His Majesty. It's an urgent matter."

One guard nodded. "And who shall we say is calling?"

A half-smile formed on Vexen's face. "An old friend."

Not long after, another guard came to escort the party into the castle. Vexen was impressed by the openness of the security; it reminded him of the old days before King Agnarr had closed the gates. He was curious to see the Royal Family again, having not seen them at all since he left Arendelle. He hadn't left Arendelle on poor terms, but Vexen was still apprehensive about returning here. But it truly was an emergency situation, and desperate times called for desperate measures.


Queen Elsa was in her room when she heard a familiar knock on the door. The distinctive pattern indicated that her sister, Anna, was at the door. "Come in," she called out.

"Guess what? We have mysterious visitors requesting to see you," the bubbly woman began.

"Mysterious how?" Elsa asked.

"There's five of them and they're all dressed in long black robes. Maybe some sort of religious group? Apparently it's essential they see you right away."

Elsa could tell that her sister was very excited to have such unusual guests arrive. Then again, it wasn't terribly difficult for Anna to become excited. "Very well. Why don't you go tell Kristoff and Olaf? I'm sure they will want to know too. I'll be down shortly."

"You can count on me," Anna replied and then dashed off.

The Queen was planning to change into something slightly more regal when another knock at the door interrupted her. She was used to this as she had been Queen of Arendelle for three years and had been interrupted on important business more times than she could count.

"Your majesty, may I have a word?" an older male voice called out. The voice belonged to Kai, the Royal Overseer. He basically served as both an advisor and caretaker to the Royal Family. Anna and Elsa really appreciated and respected Kai for all that he had done for them since the death of their parents six years ago.

"Of course, Kai," Elsa said and he entered her room.

"I assume Princess Anna told you of our visitors?" he began.

"Yes, and I was just going to get dressed to formally receive them. Anna thought they might be monks?"

"Perhaps. I have yet to see them myself. If you wish, I could go screen them. You certainly are not obligated to meet with them."

"No, no," she dismissed. "It's important to show that Arendelle is open to all, including visitors."

"Of course, your majesty. I just thought I would check," the blading man replied.

"Thank you. I would appreciate if you could round up some guards for the throne room, though."

"Consider it done. I will do so and then return to escort you to the throne room." With that, the Royal Overseer departed, leaving the Queen in peace.

Elsa went and changed into a more formal dress, put on her crown, and added some jewelry. She hoped these new guests would prove to be interesting. She could use the distraction, as she had been absorbed in her thoughts more than usual. This was due to a melodic tone that she swore she heard a couple of times in the last few days. Once she was sufficiently prepared, she wandered out to her balcony that provided a great view of the nearby fjord.

Kai knocked and re-entered her room. "Your majesty, they're ready."

"I'm coming." It was at that moment that she heard the high-pitched four-tone melody that she heard (or imagined) recently. "Did you hear that?" she quickly asked.

"What?"

"Never mind," she immediately dismissed. "You may escort me to the throne room."

Elsa and Kai were the last ones to the throne room. Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and the Royal Guards were already there, awaiting Elsa's arrival. Anna waved to Elsa as she entered. Elsa waved back as she settled into her throne. The others were sitting in large chairs located on the side of the room.

Elsa wasn't thrilled about the royal protocols she had to follow, but understood the importance. She would have much preferred to be sitting next to her sister, but she was used to this. "Alright, let's meet our mysterious guests."

One guard left the throne room and shortly returned with the five rogue members of the Organization.

Elsa noted the unusual dress of their visitors, but that quickly left her thoughts as she looked at the leader of the group. She gasped as she realized who was standing before her. "Uncle Even?"


Vexen was nearly as surprised as Elsa. He assumed Elsa would be around, but was stunned by what he didn't see: her parents. He bowed. "Princess Elsa, it is a pleasure to see you again, but where are your parents?"

Kai stepped forward. "Queen (he put emphasis on that) Elsa has been queen for three years now."

"Oh my goodness! Uncle Even? It's been so long!" Anna squealed. She jumped out of her chair and rushed over, giving him a bear hug.

Vexen very awkwardly accepted the hug, surprised by the reception that he received. He was unsure if the girls would recognize him, considering that Elsa was 11 and Anna only 8 when he left.

Zexion and Larxene looked at each other in surprise. "Uncle Even?" Larxene whispered.

"Uncle Even?" a confused Kristoff said as he stood up.

Anna broke the hug and answered Kristoff. "Yeah! You've seen his portrait in the library," she said as if that explained everything.

Elsa rose from her throne and went over to Vexen and her sister. "What a pleasant surprise to see you again! What brings you back to Arendelle?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. But it can wait. I'm more concerned about what has happened since I left."

"Kai, can you take Even's friends to some guest rooms?" Elsa asked. "Kristoff, Olaf perhaps you would like to entertain our guests as Even, Anna, and I catch up?"

Kai immediately agreed, but gave a hard stare in Vexen's direction.

"Come on new friends!" Olaf cheerfully called out as he wandered over towards the other four Organization members.

"Is that a talking snowman?" a visibly confused Demyx uttered.

"Ve-Even, we will need to talk after you are finished here," Zexion said, saying what all the other members were thinking.

"Yes, of course," The Chilly Academic replied.

"If you all would please come this way," Kai announced and then he led the party out.

"A lot has happened since you left," Elsa began.

As Vexen previously told Dusk, he hadn't always been a scientist. Even Evans was no stranger to Arendelle Castle. He served as the Royal Vizier for many years, holding a position as the key political figure in King Aganrr's court. Even spent a number of years as the King's top and most trusted advisor.

Even was not born into the aristocracy, but made his way into the court of King Runeard as a low-ranking advisor. Runeard was a very politically active monarch and had many political advisors, so Even was kept very busy. All of that would change when Runeard was killed in the Enchanted Forest in a squabble with the Northuldra Tribe, making the young Agnarr the Prince Regent. A higher-ranking advisor became the ruling regent until Agnarr became of age.

King Agnarr was not as interested in politics as his father and the number of political advisors began to dwindle. Despite this, Even continued to rise as he formed a good working relationship with the king. Eventually Even became the King's top (and increasingly only) advisor. Even was widely considered to be the most powerful man in all of Arendelle with the potential exception of the King. He created the role of Royal Vizier to cement his position.

Even was also well liked by Queen Iduna and the two young princesses, Anna and Elsa. To them, he was simply known as Uncle Even and he enjoyed spoiling the little girls.

Eventually, Even and King Agnarr started to have differences on ideas and policies and Even resigned his post as Royal Vizier and left Arendelle to explore. It was then when he learned of other worlds and eventually made his way to Radiant Garden. Even was succeed by Kai in the Royal Vizier position, but Kai retitled the post Royal Overseer and focused more on being the castle's caretaker than political advisor.


The Castle That Never Was was nothing compared to Arendelle Castle. Axel, Larxene, Zexion, and Demyx were amazed by the many colors and fineries that adored the hallways.

"You know, grey, white, and black were really terrible colors for a castle," Axel said to agreement.

"Yeah. This is totally the best castle I've ever been in!" Demyx added. Seeing the castle had slightly improved his downcast mood after Luxord's death.

The surprises just kept coming as Kai brought them to a suite of four bedrooms. "These are for us?" Larxene asked.

"That is correct. The castle is no longer home to as many people as it used to. I'm Kai, the Royal Overseer. And you are?"

The four Organization members promptly introduced themselves.

"Wonderful. Please don't hesitate to flag a servant down if you need anything," Kai finished before departing.

"I'm Kristoff, the Royal Ice Harvester. And Princess Anna's boyfriend," he added, attempting to both sound more official and make it clear that Anna was taken.

"I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

"It's very nice to meet you," Zexion replied. "We greatly appreciate your hospitality."

"Where are you all from?" the talking snowman bluntly asked.

"Somewhere very far away," Axel quickly answered.

"I suspected as much, because I certainly don't recognize your outfits," Kristoff stated.

"Speaking of clothes, we don't really have anything else to wear," Larxene began.

Olaf immediately caught her drift. "We should take them into town! Then they can buy some new clothes and we can show them the village! That's entertaining!" All were amenable to Olaf's suggestion and they all headed into the village of Arendelle.

It quickly became apparent to the former Organization members that the fashion in Arendelle was vastly different to what they were used to. It didn't take long for Zexion to understand that, like the Deep Jungle, Arendelle was not as modern as The World That Never Was and he alerted that to the others quietly.

Demyx and Axel were slightly confused as to what would constitute a new wardrobe, not being used to non-modern societies. They went off with Kristoff and ended up with the scruffy shirt and vest look that was common with the Arendelle men.

Zexion went off with Larxene and Olaf to search for a new wardrobe. He settled on a more formal look than Axel and Demyx, choosing a dress shirt to go with his vest.

He could tell that finding something for Larxene to wear would be a more difficult task. Larxene instantly decided that she was not going to wear "one of those hideous dresses."

Olaf, who was not as adept with Arendelle fashion, provided no pushback and encouraged Larxene to make her own style. "You go girl!" he cheered.

Larxene started to pick out various pieces; some that were considered men's and some that were considered women's. Both Zexion and Olaf were impressed with what The Savage Nymph came up with. She came out of a dressing room wearing a white dress shirt and a turquoise jacket. She had replaced her tall black boots with equally tall turquoise ones. She kept the black shorts that she wore under her Organization coat, but added a black belt.

"What do you think?" she tentatively asked. She knew that Zexion and Olaf weren't exactly the best judges of fashion, but she knew they would offer an opinion. She couldn't remember the last time she had physically gone shopping, so it felt weird to go through this routine again.

"Looking good!" Olaf affirmed.

"I agree! You look…electric," Zexion added, smirking.

Larxene furiously worked to suppress a blush, hiding it under a brief scowl. "Then I guess I'll go with this then."

Zexion boldly offered his arm to Larxene. "Shall we?" Larxene hesitated, but did take his arm.

The pair followed Olaf, who was giving them a "tour" of Arendelle (which consisted of him interspersing random facts about Arendelle with just random facts in general). Turning back to look at them, he asked, "Are you a couple?"

"No," Larxene quickly replied.

"Well…" Zexion said at the same time.

Olaf's eyes widened. "Okay then!" He wisely chose not to press the subject.

Eventually, the trio reunited with Kristoff and the others. Everyone returned to the castle and the members settled into their room after thanking Kristoff and Olaf for helping them out.

Vexen was waiting for them. "Let's meet in Zexion's room in ten minutes. We have a lot to discuss."

"Understatement of the year," Axel quipped.


Vexen would be lying if he said he hadn't been a little emotional hearing about the deaths of Agnarr and Iduna and hearing about what the girls had to go through afterwards. He felt a little guilty that he hadn't been there for the Royal Family in their darkest hours. Then again, he wasn't sure how he would have fit in had he been there. It was clear to him that the power of the monarch had diminished since the regency and Kai had certainly weakened the power of his former role. Regardless, he was pleased the girls held no ill will against him. They wanted to know what he had been up to for the past thirteen years. He was careful in what he told them, explaining that he became a researcher and spent the last seven years as the lead scientist of an Organization (which wasn't inaccurate, just incomplete). He explained to them that said Organization and him severed ties in an acrimonious manner and he feared they might be sending agents after him, causing him to flee here for a short time. Queen Elsa was insistent he and his party could stay as long as they wished.

"I understand you may have questions about my home world and what I did here. Allow me a brief summary," The Chilly Academic said to begin the meeting. He then explained to the members exactly what he promised. In addition, he regaled them with the details of his meeting with Anna and Elsa. "Now then, it seems that you all have already shed your coats, which I was going to recommend anyway. I will be doing the same soon."

"Do you think the Organization can track us here?" Axel asked.

"I do not. The only GPS signals on members were the watches. Likewise, I have never told anyone about my home world, so no one would know to look here."

"So now what? We hide out here?" Demyx questioned.

"For the immediate future, yes. After what happened to Luxord, we will need to carefully consider our next moves."

"Luxord…" Larxene said.

"And you're sure he's gone?" Zexion pressed.

"I saw him fade away. His body slowly disintegrated into particles. Unfortunately, we now know what happens to an Organization member that dies," Vexen answered definitively. No one said anything in response. "Then, in the meantime, I suggest we all try to enjoy our time here at Arendelle Castle. I would strongly recommend that you do not use your powers. The Queen has ice powers and it was quite a shock for everyone here. Let's not test how progressive they've become."

A servant knocked at the door and announced dinner would be served soon, which effectively ended the meeting.

Axel and Demyx headed to their rooms to clean up, leaving Larxene and Vexen outside of Zexion's room. "Where will you be staying?" she asked. Sensing that she would be spending a lot more time with Vexen, she decided to try to start thawing their icy relationship (pun intended).

"I'm sure my bedroom has been redecorated, but there's a chance that my office remains. I shall investigate after dinner."

"So Elsa has ice powers? And blonde hair? And you left here in a rush? Are you sure there's nothing else to mention?"

Vexen quickly understood what Larxene was insinuating. "No, that's not the case. I didn't leave because of some scandal. She's not my daughter, although I would be lying if I said I don't see her as one."

"Just thought I'd ask."

Vexen likewise decided to try to be nice to Larxene. "Thanks for siding with me. You didn't have to and I know we don't always get along, but…" he trailed off.

"You can be right on occasion. A broken clock is right twice a day," she teased.

Vexen sighed. "I suppose so. Although maybe you are more interested in Zexion than my politics," he mused. "How's that going?"

"And how is that any of your business? Read the room, old man."

Vexen threw up his hands in defeat. "Fair enough." She smirked at him and headed for her room. "And Larxene?" She stopped and turned back to him. "Your new outfit? I don't hate it."

"That as close as you can get?" she replied, putting her hands on her hip, leering at him.

Vexen shook his head bemused. "I'm trying my best."


Dinner had been a pleasant affair and the guests were quickly being accepted by their hosts as friends. Later that evening, Vexen wandered over to the castle library. There, he found the full-length portrait of Even that seemed like it had been painted a lifetime ago. Despite being painted over fifteen years ago, Vexen still looked very similarly, thanks to the fact that as a Nobody, he hadn't physically aged in the last seven years. He wandered over to look at some of the other portraits in the room. One such portrait featured Lt. Mattias, whom Even had only known briefly during King Runeard's reign.

"It hasn't changed much, has it? You would know, you spent a lot of time in here," a new voice called out.

Vexen turned to see Elsa standing in the doorway dressed in a magenta nightgown. "Your majesty," he greeted.

"Please, I get enough of that," she countered.

"Of course. Were you looking for me, Elsa?"

"I was, yes. It came to my attention that you still didn't have a room for the night and I was told I could find you here."

"You are half correct. The library has not changed much, but I didn't spend a lot of time in here specifically."

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "You and father would lock yourselves in this room a lot."

"Ah, that's true, but we weren't in here, per say."

"What do you mean?"

"Come here, I'll show you." He led Elsa over to a large bookshelf wall. "I imagine no one ever told you." He scanned the shelf for a certain gray book on one of the upper shelves (specifically placed to keep it out of reach of some rambunctious young princesses) and partially pulled it out.

The book was a trigger for a secret mechanism, as the bookshelf turned, revealing a hidden room behind it. "Welcome to my secret office."

Elsa was stunned. "A secret office?"

Vexen nodded. "Your father and I worked on sensitive matters in here, away from any prying eyes in the castle."

The room was rather simply decorated and it wasn't very big. It contained a bookshelf full of books and papers, two chairs, one desk, and a bed pushed against the wall opposite the bookshelf. A number of candles littered the desk. Hanging off of the bookshelf was a blue outfit that was Even's official outfit as Royal Vizier. It looked very similarly to Kai's but was a navy color instead of dark green.

"I had no idea," she said, breathless. And nobody's probably been in here in thirteen years," she marveled.

Vexen went over to inspect the desk. "It appears that is untrue. Your father must have been in here after I left. There appears to be a number of papers that he penned that I don't recognize here."

"What exactly did you research here?"

Vexen shifted uncomfortably. "We researched magical things. And the source of your power."

Now it was Elsa's turn to shift uncomfortably. "Did…did you ever find out?" she asked.

"No."

"I thought not. Fortunately, I've learned to control my ability in the last few years." Opening her hand, she created a miniature ice horse.

"And Anna? Has she developed any abilities?"

Elsa shook her head. "Nothing. I'm sure I'm the only person in the world who has this."

Vexen smiled. "Not anymore." He opened his gloved hand and created an identical ice horse.

Elsa's eyes widened in amazement. "You can…? Just like me? How long? Why did you hide it from me?" she responded in rapid-fire succession, her tone fluctuating from wondrous to accusatory.

"These powers came much later, I'm sorry to say. A result of a lab accident," he lied. "But the irony was not lost on me."

"I brought Olaf to life, you know," she said.

"Your power exceeds mine. I cannot give life, but control ice. Even snow is out of my range."

She sighed. "I wish you would have been around."

"So do I. But your father and I disagreed on enough things that I couldn't stay."

"What specifically?"

"You, among other things. Your father and I disagreed on what to do about your powers. He wanted to hide you away to protect you while I thought we should celebrate your powers. I vehemently disagreed with his decisions to shut the castle up and reduce the staff, but I couldn't persuade him otherwise. What you didn't know was that your father changed his focus from how to hide your power to how to get rid of your power. Again, I disagreed with him, telling him it was a foolish quest. Of course, we also had some political and policy disagreements and I finally decided that it was time for me to move on."

Elsa nodded, absorbing the information she just received. "Well, I appreciate your support. I shall leave you to reminisce," she said.

"Very well."

She started to exit the room before she stopped, her eyes wandering over to Even's old uniform. "Do you think you could still fit in that?"

"Of course I could!" Vexen scoffed.

"If you say so," she said with a smirk. "Goodnight Even."

He smiled at her. "Goodnight Elsa." She left his secret office. Vexen looked at his suit again. "Of course I could wear it," he said, attempting to reassure himself.


Hey everybody! Thank you to the influx of reviewers after this last chapter! I want you to know that I always take into account what you guys have to say and I really appreciate your feedback. As always, thanks to my readers/reviewers/those who favorite and follow this story. Next time we will see how the denizens of The World That Never Was react to the previous events!

See ya real soon,

The Mustachioed Academic